I have no idea what I was getting into when I picked up this comic (besides being surprised that Scott Snyder was involved, considering how much hype All-Star Batman is getting, did not expect to see his name on this project).
Anyways, I have a fondness for The Shadow (it was a woefully underrated film, showed off the genius of Alec Baldwin), but I really wasn’t expecting much except some good ol’pulpy fun (Batman’s pulp adventures are always fun, and The Shadow is the King of the pulps [sorry Spirit]).
But then this comic really goes in a completely different direction.
(Almost, Snyder still goes for the legacy of fathers/grandfathers as per usual in his writing – it’s a tic, and I like pointing it out just ’cause it’s me being a butt)
What’s great about this first issue is that it feels fresh and new. Batman is out trying to solve the mystery of The Shadow – who seems completely different from what we have seen of him before, or at least familiar with) and so we get to enjoy the unfolding of this story and having Batman actually being a detective (he still does some punching, but it is balanced out).
Riley Rossmo’s art is great, being both light and dark and vibrant for this storyline. I like how it doesn’t try and be pulpy, but instead being a fresh style for a fresh-feeling story. Seriously, this is some gorgeous stylings that you can’t help but feel wrapped in the adventure of Batman and his antics as he explores The Shadow’s…shadowy world (goddamit words, why do you fail me?)
Here, enjoy this gorgeousness
Four Thwips! And more please…
Thwip! 